THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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BEYONCE, SINGER: Any questions?

CARLOS DIAZ, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Let me say what everyone's thinking. That was the first in your face of the Super Bowl. You walking out here and nailing that national anthem.

BEYONCE: Thank you so much.

DIAZ: Did all of that flak unnecessary or not affect what you were doing at halftime?

BEYONCE: I always sing live. If there's -- this inauguration was, unfortunately, a time where I could not rehearse with the orchestra, actually because I was practicing for the Super Bowl. It was always the plan.

DIAZ (voice-over): And after her singing was done on this stage. Beyonce wanted to make sure she explained to everyone why she used the backing track at the presidential inauguration.

BEYONCE: I am a perfectionist. Due to the weather, due to the delay, due to no -- no proper sound check, I did not feel comfortable taking a risk.

DIAZ: But will Beyonce be lip synching at halftime when the world is watching this Sunday?

BEYONCE: I am well rehearsed and I will absolutely be singing live. This is what I was born to do.

DIAZ: Beyonce kept tight-lipped about a rumored Destiny's Child reunion and a possible cameo from her husband Jay-Z at halftime. But Beyonce definitely had some butterflies.

BEYONCE: Of course, I'm nervous. It's the one thing when I'm no longer here it's what they're going to show.

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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Carlos Diaz reporting.

The big game in the Big Easy, this year fans can expect some Cajun cooking to go along with the burgers and the beers. And it's more than just Jambalaya and gumbo. Wait until you hear what the big chef is whipping up for Sunday in the Super Dome.

But first, some Super Bowl trivia. Did you know that this Sunday marks the tenth time that New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl? It's now tied with Miami for the most games hosted by one city.

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COSTELLO: NFL fans don't just wear their hearts on their sleeves; many wear tattoos underneath those sleeves. One Bay Area parlor offered a big discount for 49ers fans. A Niners tat normally goes for, what, $200 at a sale price? But they're offering them now at $49.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to take this out and put staple.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not about just one game, it's my whole life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to go all the way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think you should get one.

COSTELLO: Nice. Getting a tattoo shows San Francisco fans they're crazy for the 49ers, but there's something different about the fans in Baltimore. When I say they love their Ravens, I mean they adore them. And when you meet them, you'll understand exactly what I mean.

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COSTELLO (voice-over): It's early morning in Baltimore and the city glows Ravens purple.

Right now at 6:12 we are in the Inner Harbor --

Radio station WIYY is hosting an alcohol-fueled Raven's pep rally.

KERRY BURKE, RAVEN'S FAN: We're a drinking town with a football problem. That's Baltimore. We tailgate for the football games and everything. We're die hard, we bleed purple. We love the Ravens.

BRANDON CARVER, RAVENS FAN: Look out here what other city is going to be up at 6:00 in the morning partying on a Monday? We never got to work, we don't care. We're supporting our team. We're supporting our team.

COSTELLO (on camera):: I can't even explain to you how insane it is here in Baltimore.

COSTELLO: And no one has epitomized Baltimore's road to redemption more than Ray Lewis. Make no mistake, Lewis defines the Ravens.

STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE, MAYOR, BALTIMORE: We have a tenacious team, one of our motto is being relentless. I think that's the history of Baltimore, the story of our people and the Ravens play that out every time they take the field.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Ravens are feeding this by supporting super fans like Captain Dee-Fense, Baltimore Bird Man, Disciple, Purple Vain and Poetic Justice. Every NFL franchise has such super fans. Team mascots, if you will, who are active in the community.

DEE-FENSE, RAVENS SUPER FAN: No offense to the other 31 teams, but we got the best super fans in the NFL.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's face it, what other super fan has a '52 Buick painted in purple paint. On Sunday, everyone here will be a super fan awaiting what they know will be Baltimore's chance to show the world it's a winner.

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COSTELLO: It's a crazy town, but one of the most fun stories I've ever done. On the eve of the Super Bowl, CNN is live in New Orleans with our take on the biggest sporting event in the country: What it means to the city, how it became such a cultural phenomenon.

Join us for kickoff in New Orleans. CNN Bleacher Report special airs tomorrow afternoon, 4:00 Eastern. It's the West Coast versus the East Coast, and Super Bowl fans are going crazy for their teams.

Look at the mayors of each city. I bet you can guess which mayor is which. And they'll join us next.

San Francisco and Baltimore in the middle of that Super Bowl frenzy, but can you name four teams that have never played in the Super Bowl? Yes, I know my Detroit Lions is one of those teams. We'll be back.

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COSTELLO: Before the break, we asked you which teams have never played in the Super Bowl. Well, the unfortunate four are the Cleveland Browns, the Detroit Lions, the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars, but hope springs eternal. And I say that as a Detroit Lions fan. OK, well, we want to have some fun with the mayors of the two Super Bowl team cities, Mayor Edwin Lee from San Francisco and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake from the city of Baltimore. Welcome to you both.

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Thank you.

EDWIN LEE, MAYOR, SAN FRANCISCO: I'm glad to be here, thank you. Hi, mayor, how are you doing?

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Fantastic, how are you?

LEE: Great. Great. I look forward to you coming over here.

COSTELLO: Oh. Oh, Mayor Lee, what do you mean by that? Have you already made a bet with Mayor Rawlings-Blake?

LEE: Oh, we have. We have. And it includes when we win that Super Bowl, you know, Mayor of Baltimore will be here in San Francisco. We've got a wonderful, a beautiful red and gold jersey waiting for her and then I've got her bib, I got her bib right here. She's going to be wearing this when she cracks our dangerous crabs down at Fisherman's Wharf.

COSTELLO: All right. So Mayor Rawlings-Blake what do you have in store for -- for Mayor Lee if the Ravens pull out a win?

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: I've always known Mayor Lee as such a gracious statesman, now he's talking trash. I don't know what happened to him this morning. I'm going to -- I look forward to hosting Mayor Lee for a day of seafood and service. I'll show him what real crabs are, blue crabs, Maryland blue crabs and then we're going to work with the Mayor Corps of Volunteers on a day of service. He'll love Baltimore. I know you've been here before I'm looking forward to hosting you again.

COSTELLO: Oh, that is excellent.

LEE: I'm looking forward either way. Either way. It's great, our Baltimore Mayor is wonderful, we both worked together at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, but I'm looking forward to her having a great time over here. You know the Niners -- you know they don't get to the Super Bowl too often but when they do, they win it.

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Now he's rubbing it in again.

COSTELLO: I know, he's rubbing your face in it. It's unbelievable. Mayor Lee, seriously, what -- I mean, what does it mean to your city that the 49ers are in the Super Bowl?

LEE: Well, you know, it's been 18 years. And I've been looking at the old tapes of what it used to be. It's -- it's great. I mean any time a city, Baltimore, San Francisco, when we make the Super Bowl, it's the national sports event. It is everybody focused on it. The spirit of the city is up, people are anticipating every single player; everything that we say and do is all a great raising of consciousness, it's a great city spirit. And I'm glad because Baltimore is also a wonderful city, as well. And you know, our -- our leader, Leader Pelosi, she has family there and emanated from there, her family, we've got connections all over the country. This is unique because it's East Coast, West Coast, it's a -- and it's going to be a national pastime for everybody. It will be very exciting.

COSTELLO: OK, so Mayor Rawlings-Blake, like, I have to do a disclaimer here because I live part time in Baltimore so I guess, sorry, Mayor Lee, I'm going to root for the Ravens this year. But -- but tell me --

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RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Tell me, Ms. Mayor, what do the Ravens mean to Baltimore? Because I have never experienced such crazy, crazy fans and I'm from Cleveland.

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Yes. The Ravens mean so much to Baltimore. The Ravens are relentless. We are often underestimated and that's when we shine the best. And you know, I feel for you from Cleveland, but at least you're able to keep the name. The Browns. You have to have some sympathy for us.

And again, you know, we're always underestimated, but we always over perform and I'm really looking forward to hosting -- hosting Mayor Lee. We have a great working relationship we're going to keep it going.

COSTELLO: OK, so I'm going to ask you both for predictions. So Mayor Lee, what do you think the score will be?

LEE: Yes, you know, we're -- they are two -- I have to say, very good football teams. They have strong defenses, but, you know, I got to say, with our quarterback, Kaepernick, with Gore, with -- with our fantastic receivers, I'm going to say that when it gets to the third and fourth quarter, we're going to do a little blowing out. I -- I -- I think we're going to have a close game, but it'll be exciting one. And one that I think we'll edge out.

COSTELLO: Mayor Rawlings-Blake?

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: I think it'll be an exciting game, but I'm sure by the third quarter we'll have it done.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Mayors. It was a great time.

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Thank you. Thank you so much.

LEE: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thanks so much.

We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The Super Bowl might be known more for the commercials than it is for the game on the field. And, you know, some late night comedians having fun with that.

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STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE COLBERT REPORT": This Sunday is all about the big matchup, two titans of the game finally going head to head. I'm talking, of course, about Axe Body Spray versus the E-Trade baby. Because Super Bowl ads are my favorite part of the game, and this year is an exciting new development.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Teaser ads that tease you toward the ads in the big game. This is now a brand new phenomenon and it is no joke.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Think of it as ads for the ads.

COLBERT: Yes, ads for the ads.

OK, this is great. Tivo watchers have something to practice fast forwarding through.

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COSTELLO: That was really funny. We have to talk about the San Francisco 49ers quarterback. His name is Colin Kaepernick. You know that by now. He's sort of this accidental quarterback who kisses his biceps and praises God.

Here's Joe Carter.

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JIM HARBAUGH, HEAD COACH, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Colin we believe has the hot hand and we'll go with Colin.

JOE CARTER, HLN SPORTS: At the time, Jim Harbaugh's decision seemed very risky. 11 games into the season, he benched his veteran quarterback and placed the weight of a franchise on the shoulders of a second year player unknown to many outside of San Francisco. The move was bold, but it worked. And this team hasn't looked back since.

HARBAUGH: What he's accomplished, what he's done, we're so happy for his success. And, you know, the kind of young man that his parents raised and you know, his family, his hometown, his high school coaches and college coaches.

CARTER: This boom or bust project has turned into one of the NFL's biggest play makers. What Jim Harbaugh saw back in 2011 when he traded up to draft him is what his teammates began to buy into, as well. VERNON DAVIS, 49ERS TIGHT END: He wants to be successful. He wants to be great. He says I just want to play. I just want to play. I just want my opportunity. I can see the fire in his eyes. He just wanted to prove what he can do.

MATT MAICCO, 49ERS INSIDER, CSN BAY AREA: Maybe he doesn't realize how difficult it is to get here as a first year starting quarterback. To be thrust into this limelight. Maybe there's a feeling that, ok, you know, I'll be doing this several times throughout my career. Even though it's a big moment, I think the team believes that he will just be the same Colin Kaepernick they've seen from day one.

CARTER: It's not unusual to see a pro athlete with lots of tattoos. But for a quarterback in the NFL to be known for his tats is.

Bible verses and artwork cover most of Kaepernick's upper body and his entire back. If you want insight into the psyche of this 25-year-old, just look at the words inked on the inside of his arms.

COLIN KAEPERNICK, 49ERS QUARTERBACK: It says "my gift is my curse". I just feel like that's something that applies to my life in many different ways. Being an NFL quarterback, there's a lot of advantages that come with it. There's a lot of doors that open when you're a quarterback. At the same time, you're under a lot of scrutiny.

CARTER: In November, a sporting news columnist stirred up a fuss by suggesting Kaepernick's all-encompassing tattoos were far more common place among prison inmates than NFL quarterbacks.

KAEPERNICK: I don't really care what people think about my tattoos. I got them for me and to show people this is what I believe in. I mean God has brought me this far. He's -- I mean laid out a phenomenal path for me and I can't do anything --

CARTER: Colin Kaepernick is adopted and in recent weeks his biological mother has surfaced. She says that she gave Colin up for adoption when he was 6 weeks old. She was just 19 at the time. Over the years, she's kept in contact with the parents that raised Colin, Rick and Theresa Kaepernick but has never spoken to Colin and would like to meet him some day.

Joe Carter, CNN, New Orleans.

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COSTELLO: Wow.

OK, it's Super Bowl prediction time. Las Vegas has the 49ers at about a four-point favorite. Why ask Vegas when you can get Nate Silver's prediction? You remember Nate Silver -- he's "The New York Times" writer who predicted every single state correctly in the last presidential election. He used a special mathematical formula for that and, yes, he's got a another formula for the Super Bowl. We won't get into all that.

All you need to know is he believes in the phrase "Defense wins championships." He's got the 49ers winning because of their strong defense. I don't know. This could be the first time Nate Silver is wrong. Go Ravens.

Talk Back question today and it's a serious one: Should the NFL's Chris Culliver be penalized for anti-gay comments? We asked that question of you earlier. Your responses are next.

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COSTELLO: Both San Francisco and Baltimore are getting ready to play in the New Orleans Superdome this weekend. And did you know that Dallas and Pittsburgh have made the most appearances in the Super Bowl, the Cowboys and Steelers making the big game eight times each? I'm so jealous.

A member of the San Francisco 49ers has now apologized for saying he would not want to have a gay teammate. CNN's Brian Todd has our story.

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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's an obscure reserve defensive back who has stolen the story lines at the Super Bowl. Chris Culliver of the San Francisco 49ers was asked by Artie Lang on his show about feelings towards gays.

CHRIS CULLIVER, 49ERS CORNERBACK: No, I don't do the gay guys. No, I don't do that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any on the 49ers?

CULLIVER: No. There are no gay people on the team, you know. They got to get up out of here if they do. Can't be with that sweet stuff.

TODD: Within hours, the pressure on Culliver had gathered critical mass. He was asked what he would say to the people of his team's hometown, one of the world's most tolerant cities toward the gay community.

CULLIVER: That I'm sorry that I've been to anyone. And like I said that was very ugly comments and that's not what I feel in my heart.

TODD: The 49ers who previously launched a public service campaign against the bullying of gays issued a statement saying the team rejects Culliver's comments and have addressed the matter with him. There's no malice in Culliver's heart.

He regrets that. That's not who he is and what he really believes in.

TODD: But Culliver is part of an alpha male culture in the locker room. So far, no athlete in any major professional team sport in the U.S. has ever come out as openly gay while actively playing. In four plus years trying out with the Redskins, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks, Wade Davis never acknowledged he was gay. He didn't come out until June of last. WADE DAVIS, FORMER NFL CORNERBACK: The ideas of masculinity. To prove you're tough, to prove that you can be one of the guys, that that notion is very present and in the locker rooms. And in the locker rooms.

TODD: Davis says he doesn't see a player coming out as openly gay in pro sports for a couple of years. He says one thing that would help that along would be if more heterosexual players showed some support. Recently some have, notably, Raven's linebacker, Brendon Ayanbadejo, he has spoken out strongly about equality in marriage and other issues.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

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COSTELLO: And that was our Talk Back question this morning: Should the NFL's Chris Culliver be penalized for his anti-gay comments?

This from John, "No. He said how he felt. What's wrong with that. This is America. What happened to freedom of speech?"

From Armando, "He should know better to say what he did. Let's see how macho he is with the firestorm."

This from Joey, "Yes, suspend him for the Super Bowl."

From Jerry, "Penalize for what? Expressing the way he feels? Are we going to start legislating thoughts now? I don't think like racist, but they're entitled to their opinions."

This from Paul, "Hate speech is not freedom of speech. What with bullying in schools and suicides by gay kids. This is not acceptable by role models."

And this from Carol, "Unless there's some penalty clause in his contract for speaking your mind, then no. He'll be tried in the court of public opinion anyway. He already has been."

Keep the conversation going: Facebook.com/CarolCNN or you can tweet me @CarolCNN.

And on the eve of the Super Bowl, CNN is live in New Orleans with our take on the biggest sporting event in the country. What it means to the city, how it became such a cultural phenomenon and so much more.

Join us for kickoff in New Orleans with CNN Bleacher Report special -- that's tomorrow afternoon, 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining us today. Happy Super Bowl Sunday. I can't wait. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ashleigh Banfield.